System Integration Electrical Engineer

John Kajs

Fort Worth, TX • 512-***-**** ● ****.*.****@*****.*** ● www.linkedin.com/in/johnkajs/

Technical Lead / Technical Manager

Experienced technology leader for technology development phases from initial concept, design with customer reviews (PDR, CDR, FDR, etc), integration, testing and debugging, to production support. Extensive experience developing and operating system integration labs (SILs) to validate performance, debug interfaces, and provide acceptance testing of systems and components prior to customer delivery.

Key skills:

System Integration & Test

Product & Technology R & D

Technical Project Management

Prototype Development

Power Electronics

Government Contracting

Prototype to Production Transition

System Modeling

Employee Training / Coaching

Customer Needs Analysis

Other:

Software Experience (partial list): Matlab/Simulink, Labview, SPICE, Assembly, Cameo (MBSE), Microsoft (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Project, Visio), Finite Element Analysis, Finite Filament Analysis

Active Secret Security Clearance, previous TS clearance (reduced to Secret due to no need for TS)

Career Highlights

Engineering Lead for Military Vehicle Programs Electrical lead from completing prototypes to supporting transition to production for US Army CPI2 program, including acceptance test development. Integration Lead for US Army ACV troubleshooting of problems from external platform developer with multiple delivered prototypes. Lead Electrical Engineer for USMC/ONR for ARV including concept and proposal development, selection of all major electrical components for ARV and component testing.

Qualified vendors/partners for major stationary systems. Specified requirements for and identified source for energy storage system for load leveling of 2 MW solar array. Obtained proposals from 3 qualified vendors and negotiated final price from supplier approximately 35% below initial offer. Developed and commissioned system integration labs for testing and validation of full scale hybrid electric vehicles at customer site.

Led multi-site teams for system development and testing of electromechanical systems. Developed cross-functional teams consisting of electrical, mechanical, thermal and manufacturing engineers as well as technicians and machinists located at multiple sites based upon customer needs (San Jose CA, Warren MI, Austin TX, Charleston SC). Staff coordinated throughout the United States (California, Michigan, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina).

Professional Experience

Elbit Systems of America, Ft. Worth, TX (Feb 2020-Oct 2024)

Senior Staff System Engineer

● Power systems lead for US Army CPI2 (Command Post Integration Infrastructure) program. Drove development for 3 mobile shelter designs from initial prototype design, through Increment 0, passing Milestone B, and moving on to Increment 1 production phase presently ongoing. Upgraded design to meet required military specifications and addressed necessary interfaces between systems (cabling, software, operation) and debugging associated with moving from untested prototype to production phases. Developed needed acceptance tests (hardware, testing documentation)

● Incorporated MBSE (using Cameo) for mobile howitzer development to provide documentation of system operation and support debugging of system.

Science Application International Corporation (SAIC), Austin, TX (2001-Feb 2020)

Chief Electrical Engineer (2016-2020, comparable to Senior Principal Engineer)

Provide Subject Matter Expertise supporting multiple programs within company for power related needs.

● Chief Electrical Engineer for a hybrid electric vehicle for the ONR Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle

Supported electrical needs for winning proposal, gained support of GM Defense as a subcontractor to adapt the batteries from Chevy Bolt for Energy Storage, identified suitable electrical components for drivetrain (6 drive motors and inverters, 2 generators and inverters, 2 swim motors with inverters plus multiple thermal management components and integration of a full sensor suite).

● Supported final development and integration of electrical components for an amphibious combat vehicle during EMD phase. Developed a System Integration Lab (SIL) for evaluating performance of components and verifying/troubleshooting interfaces of electrically related components outside of vehicle. Performed multiple failure modes and effects analyses and root cause analyses to address deficiencies found both in SIL and during vehicle testing.

● Developed and documented design changes from component testing of system incorporated during best and final offer negotiations which changed solution from a customer stated risk area prior to changes to a strength afterward.

Program Manager (2010-2016)

Managed all aspects of programs including a team across multiple time zones.

● Started Silicon Carbide Power Electronics Development Program. Built a team (both internal and external) to deliver winning proposals for US DoD funding exceeding $9.4M over 4 years. Demonstrated some of the highest performing converters at time of delivery. Rugged power converters designed for ground combat use with liquid cooling, elevated temperature, shock, vibration and liquid immersion. Customer complimented that what was delivered performed better than similar delivered development items from other parallel funded efforts.

● Successfully identified multiple sources for developing technology. Prior to complete testing, chose best SiC devices for each converter for prototype development based on available data. Having multiple sources allowed program to keep progressing even when one of suppliers filed bankruptcy due to quality and delivery problems (problems were not isolated to our program).

Chief Engineer (2001-2010)

Developed basic hybrid electric vehicle technology for U.S. Army. Program funding varied from $10-15M per year and included a wide variety of technologies. Developed and oversaw multiple test labs for measuring and documenting performance of hardware. Managed both internal and external subcontractor staff and overall schedule.

● Technical oversight and direction for entire program. Partial list of components integrated and tested (mostly developmental) include: Medium voltage power distribution and control system, Early prototype high power lithium ion batteries (supplier 1), liquid cooled motor/generator inverters (supplier 2), soft-switched new topology DC-DC converter (supplier 3), hard-switched liquid cooled DC-DC Converter (supplier 4), 600 Volt to 10 kV pulsed power charger and pulse forming network for high power pulsed power (supplier 5), engine/generator (supplier 6), man in the loop and model in the loop operation (supplier 7), flywheel energy storage system (supplier 8) and others.

● Developed hybrid electric drivetrain test labs. Developed requirements documents, evaluation criteria and procured high power dynamometers and electrical test equipment for the systems. Oversaw successful commissioning of labs within original budgets and on time.

Senior Engineer (2001)

Troubleshot operation of Combat Hybrid Power System, System Integration Lab including multiple prototype components. Identified and solved multiple issues with prototypes to extend continuous testing from minutes to full workdays.

The University of Texas Center for Electromechanics, Austin, TX (1988-2001)

Research Engineering Associate

Supported research program in areas of continuous and pulsed power and electric machines with design, modeling and experimental testing of moderate to high power and low to high voltage.

Education

M.S.E.E., The University of Texas at Austin

B.S.E.E., The University of Texas at Austin (Graduated Magna Cum Laude)

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